Donny B. wrote:Boys and girls it's time to ask ourselves are we supporters or just fans?

Easy to be a "fan" of something successful when it's all going well.

But to be a supporter, you turn up and support no matter what, even if things aren't going great.

You don't turn up "to be entertained" or "for a fun day out" you turn up because you bloody well NEED to. You turn up cause you want to see the players from your province play and succeed and you'd be sick if you missed it. You turn up because that's what real fans do, they turn up!!

If we hit a bad patch and the cups dry up for a while, it will hurt like hell but the real supporters will still be there every second week, they might moan and bitch afterwards but they'll be there...

The fans though will move on to something else that flickers brightly and catches their fickle attention. Leave them go.....

Decide who you want to be!!

A "fan" of team (as long as it's winning) or a true supporter, there through the thick and the thin?

Donny B. wrote:Boys and girls it's time to ask ourselves are we supporters or just fans?

Easy to be a "fan" of something successful when it's all going well.

But to be a supporter, you turn up and support no matter what, even if things aren't going great.

You don't turn up "to be entertained" or "for a fun day out" you turn up because you bloody well NEED to. You turn up cause you want to see the players from your province play and succeed and you'd be sick if you missed it. You turn up because that's what real fans do, they turn up!!

If we hit a bad patch and the cups dry up for a while, it will hurt like hell but the real supporters will still be there every second week, they might moan and bitch afterwards but they'll be there...

The fans though will move on to something else that flickers brightly and catches their fickle attention. Leave them go.....

Decide who you want to be!!

A "fan" of team (as long as it's winning) or a true supporter, there through the thick and the thin?

Donny B. wrote:Boys and girls it's time to ask ourselves are we supporters or just fans?

Easy to be a "fan" of something successful when it's all going well.

But to be a supporter, you turn up and support no matter what, even if things aren't going great.

You don't turn up "to be entertained" or "for a fun day out" you turn up because you bloody well NEED to. You turn up cause you want to see the players from your province play and succeed and you'd be sick if you missed it. You turn up because that's what real fans do, they turn up!!

If we hit a bad patch and the cups dry up for a while, it will hurt like hell but the real supporters will still be there every second week, they might moan and bitch afterwards but they'll be there...

The fans though will move on to something else that flickers brightly and catches their fickle attention. Leave them go.....

Decide who you want to be!!

A "fan" of team (as long as it's winning) or a true supporter, there through the thick and the thin?

Well why don't you just fock off to LeinsterSupporters.com?

I'm in the process of setting it up now and the likes of you won't be allowed to join either!!!

It kind of annoys me because it just shows Merkins have no knowledge of history. European history is 1,000+ years of aggressive militaristic France. WWI France destroyed itself to stop Germany much like Russia did in WWII. Merkins had f%~k all to do with either. Saved Western Europe from the red army though. There was nothing else stopping them from rolling on till they hit the sea. And then getting on boats.

Datta: what have we given?My friend, blood shaking my heartThe awful daring of a moment's surrenderWhich an age of prudence can never retract What the thunder said to Brian Lenihan

Lighten up a bit lads, you have been top of the tree and the envy of every team and supporter in Europe over the past few years, things might look grim at present but it won't be long till it all gets back on track again. Now when I say not long I mean perhaps not this season but you can be sure it will come back round sooner than later, some of your squad is getting on and getting tired other young lads have been used to being on a winning side each week and need to feel the pain of a few losses, long term it will do them good. You were on a tough assignment this week as the Ulster side were still hurting since Twickenham and I know for a fact some of those players have been working on revenge from that day and a loss on Friday would have hit worse than the previous weeks loss to Saints, if Leinster had moved up a gear they would also. End of the day I won't be remotely surprised if you win the next 2 HEC matches and qualify to go and hand Clermont their arses on a plate in the quarter finals, if not go win the Amlin get some of the young players big match experience and hit the ground running again next season.

Always remember there are a lot worse things happen than a team losing a few matches, keep safe and a very happy Christmas to one and all and many more of them.

rooster wrote:Lighten up a bit lads, you have been top of the tree and the envy of every team and supporter in Europe over the past few years, things might look grim at present but it won't be long till it all gets back on track again. Now when I say not long I mean perhaps not this season but you can be sure it will come back round sooner than later, some of your squad is getting on and getting tired other young lads have been used to being on a winning side each week and need to feel the pain of a few losses, long term it will do them good. You were on a tough assignment this week as the Ulster side were still hurting since Twickenham and I know for a fact some of those players have been working on revenge from that day and a loss on Friday would have hit worse than the previous weeks loss to Saints, if Leinster had moved up a gear they would also. End of the day I won't be remotely surprised if you win the next 2 HEC matches and qualify to go and hand Clermont their arses on a plate in the quarter finals, if not go win the Amlin get some of the young players big match experience and hit the ground running again next season.

Always remember there are a lot worse things happen than a team losing a few matches, keep safe and a very happy Christmas to one and all and many more of them.

It kind of annoys me because it just shows Merkins have no knowledge of history. European history is 1,000+ years of aggressive militaristic France. WWI France destroyed itself to stop Germany much like Russia did in WWII. Merkins had f%~k all to do with either. Saved Western Europe from the red army though. There was nothing else stopping them from rolling on till they hit the sea. And then getting on boats.

They also seem to be completely ignorant of the role of the French in securing American independence. It wasn't just Mel Gibson and his merry men.

It kind of annoys me because it just shows Merkins have no knowledge of history. European history is 1,000+ years of aggressive militaristic France. WWI France destroyed itself to stop Germany much like Russia did in WWII. Merkins had f%~k all to do with either. Saved Western Europe from the red army though. There was nothing else stopping them from rolling on till they hit the sea. And then getting on boats.

They also seem to be completely ignorant of the role of the French in securing American independence. It wasn't just Mel Gibson and his merry men.

I was in South Western France for the summer and the local village was Salies de Bearne. WWI memorial and my God does it bring home just the price France paid. Dozens and dozens of names from a small village. Verdun was a slaughter.

rooster wrote:Lighten up a bit lads, you have been top of the tree and the envy of every team and supporter in Europe over the past few years, things might look grim at present but it won't be long till it all gets back on track again.

True. The hysterics are hilarious.

Rooster wrote:End of the day I won't be remotely surprised if you win the next 2 HEC matches and qualify to go and hand Clermont their arses on a plate in the quarter finals,

My sentiments exactly, although some of our fans hearts couldn't take another meeting with Clermont. I'd say the congragulations thread would be up at half time no doubt

Rooster wrote:Always remember there are a lot worse things happen than a team losing a few matches, keep safe and a very happy Christmas to one and all and many more of them.

rooster wrote:Lighten up a bit lads, you have been top of the tree and the envy of every team and supporter in Europe over the past few years, things might look grim at present but it won't be long till it all gets back on track again. Now when I say not long I mean perhaps not this season but you can be sure it will come back round sooner than later, some of your squad is getting on and getting tired other young lads have been used to being on a winning side each week and need to feel the pain of a few losses, long term it will do them good. You were on a tough assignment this week as the Ulster side were still hurting since Twickenham and I know for a fact some of those players have been working on revenge from that day and a loss on Friday would have hit worse than the previous weeks loss to Saints, if Leinster had moved up a gear they would also. End of the day I won't be remotely surprised if you win the next 2 HEC matches and qualify to go and hand Clermont their arses on a plate in the quarter finals, if not go win the Amlin get some of the young players big match experience and hit the ground running again next season.

Always remember there are a lot worse things happen than a team losing a few matches, keep safe and a very happy Christmas to one and all and many more of them.

Merry Christmas Rooster and an early Prosperous New Year

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall who's the greatest player of them all? It is Drico your majesty.

It kind of annoys me because it just shows Merkins have no knowledge of history. European history is 1,000+ years of aggressive militaristic France. WWI France destroyed itself to stop Germany much like Russia did in WWII. Merkins had f%~k all to do with either. Saved Western Europe from the red army though. There was nothing else stopping them from rolling on till they hit the sea. And then getting on boats.

What's this now? Pubic wigs have no knowledge of history? Have you been on the sherry?

Jeez is this thread a bit OTT? Watching the game again I thought we were pretty decent. Ulster are just a very good team at the moment, the best in Ireland and deservedly the best in the Pro12. We forced things, they were patient, so what?

All this reaction to the Ulster result is a bit much. They got a penalty try to go into the lead after we lead for almost all of the first half and a couple of errors gifted them their other scores. I know we haven't been playing well but it's not like we're out of the running for trophies just yet.

AdamK wrote:Jeez is this thread a bit OTT? Watching the game again I thought we were pretty decent. Ulster are just a very good team at the moment, the best in Ireland and deservedly the best in the Pro12. We forced things, they were patient, so what?

The fact that they made almost twice as many tackles as Leinster and we made significantly more yardage with the ball in hand indicates that we were a lot more in the game than one might think. They conceded multiple penalties in and around their 22 to try and prevent us getting a foothold which worked, in fairness to them. Henry and Best were complete nuisances in terms of slowing things down. Best in particular had one great one in the first half where he lay, fully stretched on the 22, interfering with the ball and his own team mate had to grab his legs and drag him back before he was pinged.

We just had a very high error rate at the set piece and our handling let us down a number of times. No need to press the panic button whatsoever. A bit more cohesion and bite and we'll be fine. Bring on the Scarlets for the backlash.

Our tight five is the problem. You can't do anything without that functioning. More specifically, second row is the issue. Leo buggered, Toner not up to it. Look at every team that plays well with the ball in hand....they have a rough second row pairing. Get that sorted and we get go forward, start controlling the rucks, winning line-outs and x,y & z fall into place. Also, having the following back will help...SOB, BOD, RK, DK, LF, RS.

"Munster could join the French League, or an expanded English / British league."